How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
I looked at Cletus to see if all this talk of illness and deterioration affected him the way it did me. But there was no fear or worry in his face. He looked perfectly serene. I couldn't understand that kind of peace. (8.40)
His parents may be old and ailing, but Cletus's head isn't full of thoughts of deaths and funerals. Instead he's just living his life as he always has. He takes for granted that they'll always be there to take care of him.
Quote #8
Smiling kindly to the imbecile in our company, the chipmunk of a man (that's the animal he favored) said, "She died, son. Last June. She's passed on to the Spirit World." (10.6)
So the woman who was supposed to be the link between the world of the living and the world of the dead is now… dead. What are they supposed to do now? That's like being in a rowboat in the middle of the ocean without a paddle.
Quote #9
But even after his most terrible hours, he decided to stay here on this earth. Right out of the blue, he wanted to live again. And I'd like to think maybe he wanted to live because of me. Because he couldn't bear the thought of saying good-bye to me. (11.6)
Summer may have assumed that Uncle Ob didn't love her enough to stay on earth with her, but that wasn't the case at all. He may miss Aunt May like crazy, but he'll still stick around to make sure that Summer has some family left.